Welcome To Travel: Going Beneath the Surface in Melbourne

Welcome To Travel: Going Beneath the Surface in Melbourne2018-12-272019-01-03https://travel-domains.mystagingwebsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/travel.domains.svgtravel.domainshttps://travel.domains/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/8-day-cover-photo-1.jpg200px200px

Welcome To Travel was founded by Adam Ogle and Darryl Newby after their own journey from England to Melbourne involved picking fruit, driving tractors, sleeping outdoors, attempted surfing—and learning the importance of sunscreen. Now they share tips and set up itineraries to help backpackers have an unforgettable (but smoother) Australian adventure.

Travel.Domains: What does your company specialize in and where are you based?

Adam Ogle and Darryl Newby: We are based in Melbourne and specialize in showing backpackers, students, and au pairs (from all over the world!) why it’s the greatest city in the world.

Travel.Domains: You’re a successful business attracting visitors from around the globe. How and when did it all start?

Ogle & Newby: We had worked in the youth/adventure travel sector for 5+ years each and often had dreams of pursuing a project of our own. This idea came together last year, we went online in July, and started operating tours this summer. We’ve moved pretty quickly, and we’re loving it.

Travel.Domains: Who is your core target audience?

Ogle & Newby: Our business identity and values focus on our relatability to our audience. We are them. We came here to travel and had so many questions—and we missed so many of the cool parts of Melbourne and Australia. I’d have loved to have started with our 8-day itinerary!

We’re now answering those questions and showing other travelers everything Melbourne has to offer.

The product is obviously heavily focused on Melbourne, but we want to dig deep into that experience. We’re focused on going beyond the surface.

Travel.Domains: Let’s talk about the type of activities/tour/services that you offer to your customers. What are the most popular things to do and experience in Melbourne?

Ogle & Newby: There are certain things you need when arriving, such as an airport shuttle and accommodations, so we provide that.

There are certain admin parts you may struggle with but need to be handled. These could be your phone, bank account, and tax file number, so we organize that.

There are also things you must do when you get to Australia such as surfing, getting up close to the wildlife, and exploring the glorious beaches, so of course, we make sure everyone gets to do that.

We also wanted to add another layer to that. Instead of ticking off generic tourist attractions, we wanted to let people experience what it’s like to live here. That’s why we take people to our favorite places as adopted locals. Whether that’s the vineyard in Mornington or the dumpling restaurant on our food tour, it’s a snippet of Melbourne life away from that tourist trail.

Travel.Domains: In a nutshell, can you describe why visitors should start in Melbourne? What is the essence of Australia’s second largest (and in many ways first for culture) city?

Ogle & Newby: In two years it’s actually predicted that Melbourne will be Australia’s largest city! Simply put, Melbourne has character in everything it does. I love other cities in Australia—I used to live in Sydney, and it’s a great place. With Melbourne, though, it has so many things going on, across so many suburbs, cultures and sectors.

Music, sports, food, theater…it’s all over the city. Fancy restaurants backing on to grim alleyways decorated by beautiful art. Everything is there, but all in one exciting—and most importantly—ever-changing melting pot.

Adam Ogle and Darryl Newby, Founders and Directors of Welcome To Travel

Travel.Domains: What trends and developments are impacting the tourism sector and your business today?

Travel.Domains: How does your business differentiate itself? Do you have any tips for other vacation providers?

Ogle & Newby: Relate and talk to the customer from the person behind the business, not just as a business.

Travel.Domains: Choosing the right domain and brand on the internet is the first step to online success. In your view, what are the main benefits that a .travel domain offers to your website and business?

Ogle & Newby: It’s about being different — .travel has been growing for a number of years now and if you’re just another .com, you might not be remembered or be noticed.

Our brand name Welcome To Travel actually goes perfectly well with the URL welcometo.travel and in a world that’s now all about online, people may recollect the URL because of the link to the brand. Again, it’s all about being different and standing out.